Hey everyone! I apologize greatly for not blogging last week, but it was a pretty hectic week for me. As you all know, I went down to Victoria on Saturday for the annual Teen Expo event! I woke up at 5:30 in the morning to catch the 7am ferry, it was definitely a pain to wake up so early and to work with only 5 hours of sleep; however I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a ton of fun to reunite with a few other British Columbia delegates who chose to also attend this worth while event. I’d like to take the time to thank Ali Berman, for inviting me to this event it was an honour! And to Michelle for letting us know about it. Let me fill you in on what this day consisted of!

Like I said, a few Miss Teen British Columbia delegates joined in on the fun as well; such as Miss Teen Vancouver Island, Christina Scheurle, Miss Teen Fraser Valley, Brittany Clough, Miss Teen Burnaby, Herleen Sethi, and Miss Teen Port Coquitlam, Anastasiya Toropova! Most of us title holders who chose to take part in this event presented on stage! I decided to use this opportunity to promote my platform, which is to raise awareness to bullying. I wrote a 4 page speech, but decided to decrease it down to about 2 or 3 just to keep it interesting and avoid boring my audience. I spoke about the effects bullying may cause, and how it can cause a negative impact on not only the victim, but also to the bully him/herself.

Not only did we present in some sort of way, all of us title holders were given our own meet and greet booth! We met so many girls, and as well as boys throughout the day (10:15am – 3:45pm). I am still in the process of finding a company who is kind enough to sponsor me with my business cards, so I had to create my own business cards the day of the event. It was a lot of fun neither the less! I added my little signature in there, as well as my title, name and blog URL! It was a great way to promote my blog; I managed to gain a few more likes on my Facebook page as well by the end of the day (I’m almost at 1000 likes thanks to all of you supporters!). It was such a great feeling knowing that little girls and boys look up to you, and that they think of you as a mini celebrity! When I handed the little girl on the left my autograph/information card, her face was absolutely priceless! It looked as if she just woke up to a ton of gifts on Christmas Day, it made my heart melt. Being a public figure for the younger generation is definitely no easy task; you must always keep in mind that your actions can make a great impact whether it be for the good or bad. That’s something I have learned since I’ve been crowned as Miss Teen Richmond World. However I must say, it’s a rewarding feeling knowing you are considered a positive role model to little children around your community.

During our meet and greet session I was able to meet other special guests, such as Geroy Simon (on the right), which was pretty cool! I got to know Geroy and his close friend for a bit, they’re both very humble, kind, and humorous gentlemen. His friend (on the left) gave me some tips on how to answer job interview questions, it helped me a lot. Geroy presented a little speech about “Self Motivation, and Determination” in which we talked about for a bit before he got up on stage. He’s a very inspirational, and talented football player, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are very blessed to have him on their team. I wish him and his family all the best in the future!

All in all, the event was a huge success, jam-packed with a range of activities and workshops. There were many different booths, from health and fitness to even volunteer opportunities! I’m very grateful for being able to participate in this event. I loved every minute of it, and I hope everyone who came out did too!

Christina and I later cruised around Victoria for the rest of the evening. It was my first time back on the island since I was little; so Christina was kind enough to tour me around. We went downtown for some waffles, definitely the best waffles I have ever eaten. Knowing me, I went for the ham and cheese flavoured one, where as Christina got the pepperoni and cheese waffle. I had a blast catching up with her over dinner, she was one of the very first girls I made friends with at the BC Provincial Pageant back in February, and since then have stuck together through out this whole roller coaster ride. Christina drove by the “YOLO Frozen Yoghurt” store, which I found very amusing. For all those who know of Drakes popular song, The Motto you’d know why! I really enjoyed cruising around town, for those who know me well are aware of my love for cruising. I think it’s a very easy way to get rid of stress and to forget your problems for a little while; as long as you’ve got your music on loud, and maybe a friend or two keeping you company. Biggest thank you to Christina for taking her day off to spend it with her favourite Richmond girl! 😉 Love you to bits!

You can check out the rest of the Teen Expo photos on my Facebook page, and be sure to also check out my wonderful sponsors below!

I will try my very best to blog every Monday, so be sure to keep up with my weekly blogs! I’ll talk to all of you soon!

Hi! I'm Mina Xue, Miss Teenage Richmond 2018!

Mina Xue, 15 years old, is a versatile, compassionate girl in Grade 10, Richmond Secondary School. After fighting against emotional struggle in the initial immigration years, she has been passionate about studying psychology in university and wants to become an art therapist. To be well-qualified for the career, she has made great efforts to make preparation. She has mastered several musical instruments: piano, flute, guitar, organ and pipa. Through years of dedicated practicing every day, she has achieved Royal Conservatory of Music piano Level 10 and is still working on ARCT level. She is the member of Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra, the School Vocal Jazz and Vancouver International School of Music. Her beautiful voice won her the third place in school singing contest. Besides music, visual arts are also her strength which will be utilised as an art therapist. She is an avid volunteer for the community. Firstly, she has been volunteering as an organist in Richmond United Church and as a flutist for its Dramatic Discovery Workshop for two years. In addition, she has been a long-term volunteer in Richmond Art Gallery. She also took great interest in volunteering in various sports events, such as Dragon Boat festival and Wheelchair Curling Bonspiel. After having lived in Canada for over 4 years, she believes the most important lesson she has got is to give.